Vermont state housing Authority
Landlords should upload their completed W9 and Direct Deposit Form using the secure link below.
Landlords must upload their current, complete and signed W9 and Direct Deposit forms using the secure links below, to register and have their account created in the VERAP system. Please allow up to 48 hours before registering in the Owner Portal using the information provided on the W9.
After registering and logging to the Owner Portal, complete the following:
Make sure your tenants know the legal name of your company and have a copy of their lease or other documentation that displays the following:
Once a Landlord has created an Owner Record and an Applicant has applied and been found eligible, then the Landlord will be able to complete their portion of the application for that Applicant.
To be eligible, a household must be obligated to pay rent on a residential dwelling in the State of Vermont and meet the criteria below:
Eligible housing types include:
Renters or “Applicant(s)” must first apply and be determined income eligible and program eligible. Once the application is complete and eligibility is determined, the Applicant and Owner will be notified.
Yes, people living in a roommate arrangement can apply for Vermont Emergency Rental Assistance. If all roommates are listed on the same lease, roommates should apply together as a household and can identify 1 member as the head of household to submit and maintain their application. If each roommate has a separate lease, for their share of the rent only, each roommate can apply individually.
The first step is to create an Owner Record account. Landlords who have not yet created an Owner Record may do so at any time. To create an Owner Record, please visit Vermont State Housing Authority | Emergency Rental Assistance Program (vsha.org) If you are having difficulties, please contact the Call Center at 833-488-3727 (883-4VT-ERAP). You will need to provide: You will need to provide:
Payments to Tenants will only be made if the landlord chooses not to participate in the program demonstrated by:
After an application has been approved and the landlord has been setup for direct deposit, landlords can expect to receive payment within 1-2 weeks. Payments occur weekly on Wednesdays. The timing of when payment is made will depend on when an application is approved within the pay cycle.
The following data elements will be collected with each landlord application.
The program does not allow landlords to raise the contract rent while they are receiving rent money under this program, but there are a few exceptions:
For USDA Rural Development Properties, HUD Section 8 (TRACS) Properties, and HUD Section 8 Project Based Housing Choice Voucher Properties, changes in tenant rent are based on federal requirements and are not impacted by this program.
*Process for this unexpected expense. If a landlord encounters an unexpected non-capital operating expense increase such as a property tax increase, a utility increase, or insurance increase, the landlord may receive approval from VERAP to increase the rent while receiving the grant. Upon approval from the program, the Landlord would be required to send the Tenant a standard rent increase notice along with the program approval for the increase.
The Landlord, as a part of the request for rent increase approval, would need to submit proof of need of the increase. For a property tax increase this would include submitting both the prior year and current (new) year tax bills. The same type of documentation would be required for requests related to increased utility costs, insurance or any other type of unexpected non-capital operating expense. The Landlord will need to provide an attestation to VERAP that without the rent increase approval, the Landlord will not be able to meet its operating expenses.
All rent increases must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation.
Landlords WILL be required to provide proof of ownership of the property in which their tenant lives, this documentation can be a copy of the deed, a current tax bill or a current hazard insurance bill. This is being requested to verify ownership and maintain program integrity.
Landlords who need to raise the rent paid by their tenants due to an increase in operating expenses can request this in the Owner Portal on the Unit Certification screen. Supporting documentation (e.g. copies of last and current tax bills etc.) must be provided.
For USDA Rural Development Properties, HUD Section 8 (TRACS) Properties, and HUD Section 8 Project Based Housing Choice Voucher Properties, changes in tenant rent are based on federal requirements and are not impacted by this program.
Following are the changes that will be implemented to VERAP beginning January 1st, 2023 – These changes supersede prior policies
Utilities (VERAP-U and REAP):
Rental Assistance:
Other Expenses Related to Housing:
Application for Other Expenses Related to Housing are impacted as follows:
1) Health and Safety Repairs that have life safety violations and had all documentation in by 09/30/3022 need to have repairs completed, and all documentation in by March 31, 2023.
2) EMP authorized work needs to be complete and have the final IRC from the Department of Health completed by May 31, 2023.
Reach-Up Rental Assistance:
Appeals:
Recertification Policy for Lapse in benefit Period:
Other Helpful Resources:
Public Benefit Programs – Including General Assistance Emergency Housing, 3SquaresVT, Fuel Assistance, Water Assistance and more:
https://dcf.vermont.gov/benefits
We have worked to create a summary of resources that may assist you during this time of transition. Here is a list that you may find helpful.
Housing Resources Guide | Vermont Income Limits.
If you have other needs, you may also reach out to 211 for resources that may not be listed here.